05/31/2021 DRC (International Christian Concern) – Local officials report that at least 50 people were killed by the suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) over the weekend in the villages of Boga and Tchabi in DRC’s eastern Ituri region.
According to Gaston Kandole, president of the civil society of Boga, at least 25 houses were also burned down in the attacks.
“As of early Monday afternoon, 57 bodies were found. 26 people were killed in the Rubingo IDP camp and 3 in the centre of Kinyanjojo, in the Bahema Boga chiefdom,” reported All Africa, “28 other bodies were discovered in the chiefdom of Banyali Tchabi.”
In March, the U.S. Department of State designated ADF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and categorized them as ISIS-DRC. The group has the primary aim of creating an Islamic Caliphate in Central Africa. To achieve this, they often assault, kidnap, and kill Christians.
While a large majority (85-90%) of DRC’s population is Christian, violence rooted in Islamic extremism continues to worsen, putting the country at number 40 on the 2021 Open Doors World Watch List for Christian persecution. “These predominantly Christian communities are attacked by an Islamic extremist group with a clear Islamic expansionist agenda,” Open Doors spokesperson Illia Djadi stated about the rebel group.
Please continue to pray for the healing of those traumatized by violence in the DRC, and for the Lord to comfort those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Please also pray for the Lord to strengthen government protection over its people and bring peace to the nation, and for the love of Jesus to redeem the souls of those who persecute the church.
For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: press@persecution.org.
